


Protecting is a High Honor

by devil_goddess



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Assassination Attempt(s), Choking, Dirty Talk, Dirty Thoughts, Dom/sub, Dominance, Dominant Kylo Ren, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Force Choking (Star Wars), Inappropriate Use of the Force, Kylo Ren Angst, Kylo Ren Has Issues, Kylo Ren Redemption, Kylo Ren is Not Nice, Lightsaber Battles, Lightsabers, Major Character Injury, Major Original Character(s), Mild S&M, Minor Original Character(s), Obedience, Original Character(s), Possessive Kylo Ren, Praise Kink, Protective Kylo Ren, Rating: M, S&M, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Soft Kylo Ren, Star Wars AU, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, The Force, Top Kylo Ren
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:14:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24101941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/devil_goddess/pseuds/devil_goddess
Summary: Star Wars AU~Kylo Ren beat the Resistance, killed Rey, and became the EmperorTavona Imbmor was raised a Sith and turned out to be very powerful too. Her former master, Deojoul, has seen the death of the Emperor in numerous visions and is determined to stop him from being slaughtered.He assigns Tavona to be Emperor Ren's bodyguard. At first they're not friends, but after an attempted assassination they begin to grow close with each other.Visualization: https://youtu.be/VQWSrd6zMaE
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 25





	1. Prologue

The temple was dark except for the occasional bright blue light flashing, revealing all of Palpatine’s loyal followers. Kylo Ren stood in the middle of the arena, right in front of Palpatine, right next to Rey, who lay dead on the ground.

_Worthless scavenger_ , he thought to himself when he glanced down at her.

He was weakened by the Light, but no more would he listen to the call. No more would Ben Solo exist. Only Kylo Ren, only _order_.

“Kill me, my boy.” Palpatine said, “Let my life flow into you, and revel in the power of the Sith. Do this, and you shall rule _all_.”

Kylo activated his red blaring saber. Felt the unsteadiness of the crystal vibrate in his gloved hands. He twirled the saber around and held it right to Palpatine’s stomach, but did not strike yet.

“The rebels are dead, the girl is _dead_. Do it.” Palpatine commanded. “Let all the Sith live in you, as they lived in me.”

And with one swift motion, Kylo plunged the lightsaber into Palpatine. His followers roared and cheered at the sight of it.

“ALL HAIL EMPEROR REN!” The crowd chanted over and over again.

Kylo felt it. All the Sith surged through his body, swimming through his veins and burying the energy into his bones. He felt limitless power, he felt _invincible_.

The Final Order’s rule had begun.


	2. First Impressions

_One Month Later_

Tavona walked into the dark throne room with her former master, Deojoul, beside her. He wouldn’t tell her why they were to speak before the Emperor, but Tavona was not one to ever argue with orders.

Emperor Ren sat on the raised glossy black throne, lightsaber activated in his hands. He stared at the two as they walked in. His cape was the length of him, if not more, and his black and red metallic armor shone in the light that was let in.

Next to the throne was his Second in Command, General Serash Reddtiff. She was clad in all black armor and had three blasters attached to her waist. She had no helmet unlike the other soldiers, and her dark, frizzy hair was pulled into a low bun.

Tavona’s all black ensemble consisted of a turtleneck wrapped jacket, slightly loose pants, gloves, and a belt with only her saber. This caused her to feel overwhelmingly underdressed to meet the Emperor for the first time. But Deojoul had insisted she not change.

When they reached the foot of the steps, the two kneeled before him.

“You may rise,” the Emperor commanded, and they did as they were told. He motioned for them to start their proposal.

“Your Majesty,” Deojoul began, “My name is Deojoul Couroac, and this is my former apprentice-” He motioned to her, “Tavona Imbmor.”

“Ah yes, Darth Akkol and Darth Vos. Palpatine told me a great deal about you two. Especially you, Akkol. He said you are quite skilled in the ways of the Force.”

“Yes, and that is precisely why I have come here before you today. The Force has been giving me visions of your future, a future full of great dangers. Ones that must be averted in order to preserve this new regime.” Deojoul explained.

“What kind of dangers?” The Emperor leaned forward on his throne.

“The lethal kind, your Majesty.” Deojoul fiddled with his hands in nervousness. “I believe these can be averted, though. My Lord Palpatine, may the Force be with him, has a solution to offer you, which was mentioned to you by General Reddtiff.”

At just that moment, the ghost of Palpatine appeared. The Emperor’s eyes widened, as did Tavona’s.

“Young Ren,” He addressed, “This danger is easily harmless with the right people surrounding you. That is why I am ordering Darth Akkol to be your advisor in these times. He served me well, and he will serve you well, too. He is an exceptional fighter and strategist; he will prove most useful.” Palpatine turned his head to look straight at Tavona.

“And Darth Vos,” he said, “will be your personal bodyguard.” She immediately straightened, as though she could feel his words traveling down her spine.

Tavona saw a slight anger in the Emperor’s eyes at those words.

“Forgive me, Master, but I am _more_ than capable of handling myself-” His words were cut off by Palpatine's tight grip on his neck with nothing but a clench of his hand. Even in death, the dead Lord was still one of the most powerful people Tavona had ever seen. Palpatine let go of his throat and the Emperor sucked in a giant breath.

“I am well aware you can protect yourself, _especially_ with that Scavenger and her rebels gone. However, Vos has proven to be an excellent Force wielder and Sith. She is able to sense things that ones not as strong in the Force, such as yourself, cannot. She will be near you at all times, and, when she is not, at _least_ ten guards will take her place. There will be no further discussion. We must protect the Sith and this Empire. It will _not_ fall again.”

Tavona felt the same way that the Emperor did. He was more than capable of handling himself, she knew that. Everyone in the _galaxy_ knew that.

“Yes, Master,” Emperor Ren said reluctantly.

With those words, Palpatine disappeared.

The Emperor leaned back in his throne. He then looked at Deojoul, then looked at Tavona. His eyes lingered on her for a second too long. He furrowed his brows and she knew what he was staring at:

The scars of a permanent smile cut into her face by her own saber. Even years after the incident they never faded, never left. Heat crept up her cheeks, and the Emperor shifted his gaze from her to General Reddtiff.

“Have someone prepare a room for Akko; the location doesn’t matter to me. And have the room adjoining mine prepared for Vos. We do not want to disobey Palpatine.”

“Yes, Emperor,” Reddtiff responded and walked out of the throne room.

Emperor Ren twirled his saber in his hand and began surveying the two again.

“Darth Akkol,” he began.

“Please, call me Deojoul, your Majesty. I’m afraid I’m not the Sith fighter I once was.”

“ _Deojoul_ ,” the Emperor corrected, “Who was your Master?”

“Lords Vader and Palpatine both taught me, your Majesty.”

“Ah, and how long were you trained?”

“I was taken in at around twelve, and I trained for ten years under Vader and Palpatine. From there I became a Master myself and left their guidance. After the fall of the Galactic Empire, I began to try and find younglings that had an incredible propensity for the dark side.”

“And one of those younglings was Darth Vos, I assume?”

“Yes, I and a few other former students found her almost twenty years ago and trained her to what she is today.”

Tavona remembered when she had left her family. They had begged her not to leave, but the dark side had already taken her. And she had _liked_ it. She had said she would come back to visit them, but--

“Darth Vos, you are _awfully_ quiet. Are you not satisfied with your position?” the Emperor questioned, his brown eyes staring into her golden ones.

“No, your Majesty, any position given to me is an honor I take very highly. As for my silence, I do not speak unless spoken to,” she answered.

“A characteristic of the Jedi, _not_ the Sith,” the Emperor commented. “Opinions and desires are voiced here.”

“I am well aware of Sith values, your Majesty. However, my silence is a product of my Jedi-minded family; I was taught to not speak unless asked otherwise. The characteristic has served me well under the Sith, too.”

The Emperor seemed shocked at her answer but chose not to comment on it.

General Reddtiff entered the room again to announce that the rooms had been prepared.

“Excellent. Reddtiff, have someone show Deojoul to his quarters. I will be taking Darth Vos myself.”

“Yes, your Majesty.” Reddtiff motioned for Deojoul to follow her out of the room, leaving just Tavona, the Emperor, and the guards.

The Emperor lifted himself from his throne and walked down the steps. Tavona stepped out of the way to allow the Emperor to go in front.

“Walk beside me, Vos,” he told. 

Tavona did as he commanded, and he led her through the halls of the base. Everyone they passed bowed their head toward the Emperor, and when Tavona looked back at some of the soldiers, she saw them whispering between themselves.

“Do you prefer Darth Vos or Tavona?” the Emperor asked her.

“I respond to both names, your Majesty,” she said, holding her head high and squaring her shoulders back.

The Emperor stopped abruptly and clenched her throat with the Force. Tavona’s eyes widened at the Emperor’s lack of tolerance and she began to use her own power against his own. His hold on her throat loosened and she was able to breathe. 

He jolted at the conflicting forces, so he let go and grabbed her arm with a surprising amount of strength.

“I _won’t_ say it again,” he hissed. “Here we voice our concerns, especially under my rule. We do not give into _any_ of that Jedi _bullshit_. So, which do you prefer?”

Tavona saw that there was fire and rage in his expression. She remained calm even with the grip on her arm tightening.

“To be honest, your Majesty, I had never given any thought to my preference. I’m known as Tavona to some, and Darth Vos to others.”

The Emperor let go of her and thought for a moment.

“Tavona.” He answered his own question. “It suits you better. Vos will be used during meetings, understood?”

“Yes, your Majesty,” she said, gingerly rubbing the spot where he had grabbed her.

They continued walking until they reached a heavily guarded doorway.

“Your Majesty.” The Stormtroopers bowed their heads.

“This is my bodyguard, Darth Vos. She will be in the room that connects with mine.”

“Understood,” the one on the right said.

“We will let the others know,” The one on the left confirmed. 

The door opened and led to another hallway, but this one was much shorter than the others. There were two doors across from each other. The Emperor motioned to the one on the left side.

“Thank you,” Tavona replied.

The Emperor entered in the access code which Tavona memorized instantly. She walked inside and found a room that exceeded her expectations.

She had expected a small room with a bed and a closet, and maybe a couple of shelves and a desk. But what she had received was a massive room with a large bed, shelves stocked with books, space for training, many storage areas, and three doors. Two next to each other on the left side of the room, and one next to her bed on the right.

“The two doors on the left lead to a closet and a washroom; your wardrobe and all your belongings have already been moved in. The other door leads to my room. I expect you to be at my side in no more than a minute if you are in here and I alert you.”

“Understood, your Majesty.”

“If you want to leave your room and I am still in mine, notify me and the guards and wait until the rest of the required guards arrive. Then, and _only_ then, you may go about your business.”

Tavona nodded. 

“On my side the door is built into a bookshelf so it’s invisible to everyone but me.” 

She nodded again.

“If I am leaving, I will notify you and you will accompany me. You will be with me for meals and everything I do unless specified otherwise. Breakfast is at zero seven hundred hours, lunch is at twelve hundred hours, and dinner at nineteen hundred hours.”

Another nod.

“Do you have any questions?”

“No, your Majesty. I appreciate your help.” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and then balanced herself.

The Emperor walked away from her and opened one of the two doors on the left. Tavona didn’t move. He emerged moments later with two bracelets in his gloved hand. He held them out to her.

“These are bracelets that will alert you if I am in danger, so even if you are not with me you will know to come to my aid. Apparently Deojoul had them made for you for our… _situation_.” 

Tavona carefully took them and slid them onto her wrists, where they immediately contracted themselves to fit perfectly. Which meant that they could never be taken off. She admired the engravings of the Sith Runic Language in them, wishing she could read what they said.

“ _Protecting is a high honor,_ ” the Emperor said. Tavona looked up at him.

“I beg your pardon?”

“It’s what the bracelets say. You were wondering, weren’t you?”

“Oh—yes, thank you,” she stammered.

“I have ones just like them. If I tap them twice,” he demonstrated, and her bracelets began glowing red and buzzing rapidly, “that happens, which means I am in need of you.”

Tavona nodded.

The Emperor tapped twice on his bracelet again while staring at her once more.

“What is your opinion of your placement, Tavona?” He began to circle around her, surveying her. “Being my bodyguard, I mean?”

“It is an honor to serve you, your Majesty,” she said.

The Emperor shook his head. “No no no,” he tsked. “Remember what I told you? You _will_ voice your opinions to me. I need to be able to trust you if you are to protect my life.”

Tavona’s hands started to shake and she felt sweat begin to build on her forehead. “I already told you that-”

“I can hear your thoughts, your _doubts_ ,” he murmured as he moved in closer to her. “You will not suffer any consequences if you tell me the truth.”

Tavona let out a breath, “I believe you are capable of protecting yourself, your Majesty. Just as you did against the rebellion. However, it is not my place to question my orders, only to follow them to the best of my ability.”

The Emperor furrowed his brows like he did in the throne room.

“That is all; get adjusted tonight. Your work will begin tomorrow.”

He left her room and shut the door behind him without the slightest touch. He was clearly agitated by her position, which would make following orders more difficult.

Tavona had a twisted feeling in her stomach that if Emperor Ren ever needed her, he would not call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! thanks so much for reading! :)
> 
> just an FYI the Sith rule of two does NOT exist in this universe


	3. I Obey My Direct Orders

Tavona didn’t sleep that night; her nerves overwhelmed her need for sleep. So she spent all night training, practicing in case something were to go wrong.

She twirled her glowing red saber in her hand, tossing it up, kicking an imaginary enemy in their face, and then catching the saber with her other hand. She practiced this motion over and over again, obsessing over it. If only she’d known this move when she had fought that rebel, then maybe she would’ve-

A knock sounded at her door.

Tavona sighed, pulled her hair from one side to the other to remove it from her sweaty back, and waved her hand. The door slid open with a hiss.

The Emperor stood in the doorway with his helmet tucked under his arm, almost shocked at her appearance. He stared at her. The short tank top, loose pants, training bandages, and flushed face were not a look she would’ve liked her superior to see her in. She supposed the feeling was mutual, considering his lack of words.

“How may I help you, your Majesty?” Tavona panted. The Emperor shook his head slightly, almost as if to remember what he came to say.

“We will be leaving for breakfast shortly.”

“Of course; you can wait in here if you’d like. I won’t be too long.” She stepped out of the doorway so that he could enter, she sat down on the edge of her bed and he made his way to the middle of the empty area. She began unwrapping the training tape from her hands and feet.

The Emperor’s eyes moved slowly across her room, which hadn’t changed at all since her arrival only hours ago. Then his eyes made his way to the bookshelf, where he stopped. He picked up a book titled _Phantoms of the Ancient_. He tossed it to Tavona, who caught it with lightning fast reflexes.

“I recommend this one, very well written,” he offered. Tavona placed it onto her bed. 

“Thank you. I’ll see if I have time to get to it,” she responded while moving to her closet.

She grabbed the first outfit she saw- _anything_ was better than what he had just seen her in. What she had chosen were loose red robes with black sleeves and a black shrug to go overtop, a black leather belt, black pants, and knee high black boots.

With those in her arms, she rushed to the washroom where she quickly undressed, splashed herself with cold water, and dried off.

Tavona spent a moment looking at the scars she normally didn’t see, the slashes and the blaster wounds she’d received over her nineteen years of training. She shook the reminders out of her mind and dressed herself.

She brushed her raven hair and pinned half of it up, leaving the rest of it to flow down her back. She added in a couple of razor sharp pins she could use at a moment's notice. _Always have more than one weapon on you_ were wise words of Deojoul. Words she took seriously, _very_ seriously.

She quickly added smudges of kohl onto her eyes and a dark red paint to her lips, and she smiled at herself. This was always one of her favorite looks.

Tavona began to walk out of the washroom and knew something was off. There was no danger for the Emperor, she could sense that. But there was for… _herself_ ? That _couldn’t_ be right.

She grabbed an extra pin off of the vanity and held it so it couldn’t be seen. She concentrated her thoughts on just walking out of the bathroom, making _sure_ to think that she was safe.

As soon as she opened the door she was grabbed.

Tavona quickly wrenched out of their grip and held the pin to the assailant's neck before they had a chance to try and grab her again.

“Quick reflexes,” the Emperor commented while looking down at his throat. “And with no saber, too. Very impressive.”

“Thank you,” she said through gritted teeth while spinning the pin and putting it in her hair with the rest.

Tavona walked past him and retrieved her saber from where she’d left it on the bed. She gave it a quick toss and twirl and then clipped it to her belt.

“Is something the matter?” the Emperor said while slowly walking toward her. He raised an eyebrow almost as if to say _don’t lie_. Tavona only clenched her fist.

“Ohhh,” he drew out. “You were worried about my safety, weren’t you?” he asked in almost a mocking tone.

“Well it _is_ my position to do so-” Tavona responded.

“Let me make one thing clear to you,” the Emperor leaned in close to her, “I do not need your protection. You are here because Palpatine ordered it so. You will perform the duties that _he_ ordered, but you will not be hearing anything from me.”

Tavona simply nodded, and the Emperor leaned back slightly.

“Interesting,” he commented while staring at her face.

“What is, your Majesty?” Tavona sucked in a slight breath.

“You don’t argue. You do what you’re told, no questions asked. Even when my commands contradict your position.”

“To be perfectly honest, your Majesty, the last time I didn’t follow orders from a superior I was given _these_.” She touched the scars cutting across her cheeks. “And I almost lost my life. So forgive me if I choose to obey my direct orders.” She said with a slight venom in her voice, which she regretted immediately.

The Emperor drew back again and remained quiet. After a moment, he said, “We’re leaving, _now_.”

Tavona nodded and followed him out of the room.

⚔⚔⚔

The rest of the day was uneventful. After her comment they said nothing to each other, even during meals. Both of them sat in silence. When they returned to their rooms at the end of the day, Tavona said a simple “goodnight” to the Emperor, who responded with silence.

When Tavona entered her room she saw the book he’d recommend on her bed. She picked it up and shoved it back on the shelf.

“Prick,” she muttered under her breath while storming into the washroom.


	4. A Corset is Surprisingly Comfortable

Two more days passed and Tavona and the Emperor barely spoke to each other; the Emperor only gave her short, clipped orders and Tavona nodded in response. She hadn’t minded it, the silence. Actually, she enjoyed it.

However, the placement where she was forced to be in every day, she minded.

The Emperor was in the throne room for most of his day, calling leaders of individual planets and receiving some in person. Naturally, that meant Tavona had to be in the throne room, too. The Emperor ordered her to sit in front of him, not stand behind him. Only, out of spite or some other emotion, he didn’t provide her with a chair or even a  _ cushion _ to sit on. Although, perhaps a cushion would have made it worse.

She had to sit on the ground at his feet on the side of the throne.

Tavona didn’t know if she was meant to voice the fact that she absolutely  _ loathed _ the placement with every single bit of the Force that flowed through her. There was a possibility that the Emperor just liked to watch her suffer; or maybe the Emperor did this in hopes that she would quit.

Any time a man that wasn’t aware of her position walked into the room he would have a look of  _ I want one, too _ and she would have to resist the urge to slice his head off when she saw it bloom behind their eyes.

Any time a woman walked in, she would have the most apologetic look in her eyes, almost as if to say  _ Are you alright? _ or  _ I’m so sorry _ .

Tavona felt like an object that the Emperor was using to instill obedience in others, not the life-saving presence she was  _ supposed _ to be. The men would obey the Emperor because they wanted a version of Tavona, and the women would obey out of fear of  _ becoming _ Tavona.

The rest of the day passed without issue, no attempted attacks, nothing. In fact, the most dangerous thing the Emperor had done that day was use a knife to cut his meat at dinner.

When they reached the hallway to their rooms, Tavona asked, “Your Majesty, may I speak with you about something?”

The Emperor slowly turned and folded his hands behind his back. His mask obscured all emotion coming from his face, but she could tell he wasn’t happy.

“What about?” he questioned.

“My seating arrangement in the throne room,” Tavona responded. “It makes me slightly uncomfortable.”

“How so?”

The Emperor’s metallic voice had no emotion; it was cold and smooth like the walls of the ship.

Tavona cleared her throat. “Those who are unfamiliar with me view me as your slave, your Majesty, not your bodyguard.”

“Don’t be so foolish as to think that,” he chided. Tavona could sense his muscles clenching under all of his clothes.

“If I may try to persuade you, your Majesty: I have seen these looks in many others; these men either want to fuck girls or steal them or both. You being in a position of power with what looks to be like your slave sitting on her ass at your feet makes them think treatment like that is acceptable.”

The Emperor’s hand flew up and began to suffocate her throat, raising her off the ground. This time she didn’t fight him. She choked for air.

“I suggest you not say things like that again,” he spat, “or there will be one less Sith on this ship. Is that understood?”

Tavona nodded and the Emperor let go. She fell onto her side on the polished black floor and heaved a breath.

“Another thing,  _ Darth Vos _ -” he hissed, venom oozing from his words.

Oh, so he didn’t want to even call her by her name? Even when  _ he _ was the one that had specifically requested that he call her Tavona? He was  _ fully _ pissed off.

“-Learn to watch your mouth around me.”

The Emperor stormed into his room with his cape billowing behind him in a sea of black fabric. Tavona was sure that if the door wasn’t automatic he would’ve slammed it so hard it would’ve broken.

Tavona got up, entered her room, and flopped onto her bed. She didn’t even bother to take off her clothes and get into her nightdress before she fell fast asleep.

⚔⚔⚔

When Tavona’s alarm blared she saw a message on the screen next to her bed. A box had been sent to her door.

She sensed no danger, so she shrugged and retrieved it. She tore the sealant with one of her hairpins and lifted the lid. Inside was a folded piece of black clothing. Tavona took it out of the box and let it fall open. Her mouth dropped.

It was a black corset. Not even a fake one, a real corset that would most likely cause her to pass out if she were to fight while wearing it.

There was also a pair of pants with two layers. The top was a black sheer fabric that would go all the way down to her ankles, and the bottom was an attached pair of opaque black shorts.

Underneath both items was a note on a white card in small and sleek black letters that said:  _ You know why _ .

Tavona cursed the Emperor under her breath. He expected her to wear it as a  _ punishment _ ? To only further humiliate her more? Her theory was right; he  _ did _ want her to quit.

He wanted her to be humiliated in front of the whole galaxy? To be perceived as his slave by outsiders? Fine. But she was going to do it in her own way.

Tavona slid on the corset and used the Force to lace and tighten it as much as she could without restricting her movements. The pants were nice too; they allowed a lot of motion to occur without ripping. The Emperor may be an absolute  _ asshole _ , but at least he picked out some nice clothes.

Tavona pinned a red Kyber crystal to the point where the corset plunged in the middle of her chest and added a black choker to her neck. She swiped some dark red pigment onto her eyes and black onto her lips. She finished her  _ Emperor Ren’s Whore _ look by adding a pair of high heeled boots.

She put on her saber belt and twirled a couple of the hairpins between her fingers, debating how to style her hair. Tavona considered that if her hair was up she would be able to fit more pins, especially because she had absolutely no other place to hide them, so she went with that option.

Tavona stuffed six pins into her updo and made it look like there were spines coming out of her head. She examined herself in the mirror.

She  _ definitely _ fit the look, and she had to admit: she looked  _ hot _ . She smirked. This was surely not what the Emperor was going to be expecting, but that’s what she was hoping for.

Tavona walked out of her quarters, leaned her exposed back against the icy metal of the hallway, and waited for the Emperor to emerge. She crossed her arms over her chest and propped one leg against the wall, leaving the other firmly planted on the ground. She tapped her upper arm with her finger to pass the time.

The Emperor’s door slid open with a hiss and the familiar tower of black fabric was before her. He held his helmet in his hands, and it looked like he was about to lock it into place when he caught sight of her and froze.

“Thank you for the package, your Majesty.” Tavona examined her black nails.

The Emperor cleared his throat and then finished placing his helmet on with a hiss; he then began stomping his heavy boots toward the dining area.

Tavona grimaced. She’d won this battle.

⚔⚔⚔

The throne room was colder than Tavona had expected. She cursed herself for forgetting to bring a jacket with her. She debated turning on her saber and holding it near her to warm up, but she decided against it in case she might  _ accidentally  _ slice the Emperor’s feet off.

After quick meetings with generals and commanders, the diplomats from various planets arrived to pledge their loyalty to the Emperor. There were probably thirty diplomats waiting in line outside of the throne room.

A man named Roslon Bricwhe, who was from a wealthy and armed planet called Zeaffe, was last to speak before the Emperor.

He strode into the throne room with his head held high and hands clasped at the small of his back. He took one look at Tavona sitting beside the Emperor’s boots and licked his lips. Tavona rolled her eyes.

Roslon reached the edge of the steps of the throne and bowed to the Emperor.

“Rise,” the Emperor commanded, and Roslon obeyed. Roslon’s eyes met Tavona’s and she saw the same disgusting look in his as she had in the others.

“Your Majesty, my planet of Zeaffe accepts your offer of joining the Final Order’s Empire. To show our gratitude to you, we are giving you control of seventy percent of our military for the use of bringing more planets to the Empire,” Roslon offered in a steady voice.

“Your gift is appreciated,” the Emperor responded.

Roslon’s eyes darted to Tavona again, and she curled her fingers around the cold metal hilt of her lightsaber.

“Your Majesty, may I ask you a question?” Roslon asked while continuing to stare at Tavona.

“You may proceed.” The Emperor was clearly bored now that weapons were no longer the topic of conversation. 

“Where did you buy her?” Roslon’s eyes finally left Tavona and darted to the Emperor’s.

That was something Tavona had  _ not _ expected Roslon to say, and she sensed that the Emperor felt the same thing.

“What?” the Emperor inquired with a tinge of anger.

“I’m curious as to where you bought your slave, your Majesty. I have a couple of my own, but none  _ quite _ as beautiful,” Roslon stated. “Do all of the girls there have those scars? Or is it just yours?”

Heat bloomed in Tavona’s face and neck, but not the good kind. She felt like an animal for sale at a festival about to be brought home by a butcher. Vomit rose in her throat but she managed to swallow it before it spewed out of her mouth.

“I didn’t buy her,” The Emperor clipped. He looked down at Tavona, and she knew he was trying to lock eyes with her. He believed her now.

“Ah,” Roslon drew out. “Who gave her to you? Forgive me if I’m prying, but I would love to know. I need one just like her.”

“She wasn’t given to me, either,” the Emperor seethed. “Leave.”

“Wait, your Majesty.” Roslon held up his hand. “I do have an offer for you.”

The Emperor waved his hand to let Roslon proceed.

“I am able to offer you seventy-five percent control of our military and weapons,” Roslon said slowly, his eyes landing on Tavona, “if you tell me where she is from.”

The Emperor rested his hand on his chin and said nothing. Just boring his eyes into Roslon’s.

“Alternatively, your Majesty,” Roslon interjected, “I can even offer you a full eighty percent control if you tell me where she is from and let me have two hours alone with her.”

The Emperor lifted himself from his throne and stepped down slowly toward Roslon, his fist tightly clenched at his side.

Tavona’s hand clutched her saber as hard as she could, trying to prevent the tears welling in her eyes from falling. She was definitely going to be sick; she had a gut-wrenching feeling that the Emperor would accept the offer.

The Emperor reached toward Roslon. Tavona turned her head away and looked up. She wasn’t going to cry; she wasn’t going to look weak in front of her Emperor.

Tavona heard Roslon gasp and she darted her head toward him.

The Emperor had Roslon suspended in the air. He was wheezing to attempt to breathe.

“I have a better offer for you:” the Emperor hissed, “I  _ don’t _ end your life right here, right now, and you give me eighty percent of your military and you free all your slaves.”

The Emperor released Roslon’s throat, but not his body. “Do we have a deal?”

Roslon’s head was almost a blur when he nodded, his swift motions an effect of his anxiety toward the Emperor.

The Emperor dropped Roslon to the ground.

“If I hear that you do not do as requested, you will die a slow and painful death; is that understood?” The Emperor threatened.

Roslon’s eyes widened in fear, and he once again nodded very swiftly and dropped to his knee.

“Good, get _ out _ !” The Emperor roared.

Roslon scurried out of the throne room like a scared mouse, slamming his whole body into the wall when he went too fast for the turn out of the room.

Tavona hid a laugh.

The Emperor stepped slowly toward Tavona and extended his leather-clad hand out; she took it and he pulled her up out of her seated position. For a moment Tavona felt his emotions; it was swift, but she felt his regrets.

“I’ll have dinner sent to our quarters. I don’t feel like going to the dining area tonight,” the Emperor said coldly, all traces of emotion vanishing in an instant.

“Yes, your Majesty,” Tavona recited, the phrase becoming a second nature to her.

The Emperor turned and began to leave the throne room, and Tavona followed behind. Stormtroopers stared at her as she passed them.

One of them whistled quietly. “She’s got a nice ass, don’t you think?”

The Emperor flicked his hand and sent the Trooper who made the comment flying into the wall with a loud clang.

The Emperor halted his steps and turned his head to look at the fallen Stormtrooper, “Do your best to not make that comment about my bodyguard, otherwise I may throw you into space,  _ not _ a wall.”

The Emperor didn’t even wait to hear the Stormtrooper’s response before he continued walking. Again, neither Tavona or the Emperor said anything to each other. The only noise was the Emperor’s thick black boots hitting the ground forcefully.

They soon arrived at their quarters.

Tavona entered the access code and her door slid open.

“Tavona,” the Emperor called. Tavona turned her head to look back at him. He was facing his own door, not looking at her. “I’m sorry.”

Without another word he entered his room and shut the door. The corners of Tavona’s mouth twitched.

The Emperor had  _ apologized _ to her. Maybe he wasn’t  _ so _ bad.

The next day, there was a black metal seat engraved into the right side of the steps to the Emperor's throne. 


	5. Selfishness is a Downfall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit on 6/14/20 (had to change command ship to the supremacy, silly me!)

Much to Tavona’s surprise, the Emperor requested that on his day off he and Tavona would train and run drills. Tavona had no clue why he wanted to, but she indulged him.

She quickly dodged the Emperor’s swing at her with his unsteady saber; he stumbled but immediately regained his balance. He pivoted and twirled his saber around him. Tavona hadn’t even unlatched hers from her belt, much less turned it on.

The Emperor charged at her again, but she slid to the right and avoided him, causing him to run past her for about the seventh time that session. He got angrier every time it happened, and Tavona sensed the temptation to use the Force in him. But in a challenge where the use of it was forbidden, he would’ve lost immediately.

Deojoul watched and sipped his cup of steaming Millaflower tea. Tavona saw his fingers twitch and felt the longing to fight again within him, unfortunately his arthritis had rendered him unable to do more than watch intently. So instead he watched intently and critiqued her every move until she was perfect.

Tavona ducked as a swing from the Emperor’s saber went over her head. The swift dodge quickly turned into a back-handspring to put some distance between the two of them. She landed on her feet in a crouching position just as the saber flew over her head.

The Emperor raised his saber to bring it down onto her body, and memories of getting her scars quickly flooded Tavona’s mind. 

She threw herself at the Emperor, using his own weight against him. She snatched his saber from his gloved hand and pinned him to the ground, her knees digging into his arms. The Emperor attempted to wriggle out of her grip.

Tavona tossed the Emperor’s saber in her hand. “It’s lighter than I thought it would be,” she remarked while standing up. She held out her hand to help the Emperor up.

“Agility seems to be a strength of yours,” he commented as Tavona pulled him to his feet.

Tavona swung the Emperor’s saber a few times, then powered it off. She spun the saber so the grip was toward the Emperor, who gingerly took it from her and clipped it back onto his belt.

Tavona turned toward Deojoul who gave her a slow nod and a small smile.

“As fun as it is watching you two train,” Deojoul began after taking a sip of his tea, “I believe that that is enough for the day.”

His eyes slid to the Emperor, who was… not in a regal state. His hair was drenched with sweat, and he was panting heavily. Then Deojoul regarded Tavona, who was in a similar condition.

“Get some rest,” Deojoul suggested, finishing his tea. “You’ve been training all day; rest is needed for fierce warriors, too.”

Tavona walked across the training mat to retrieve the long, black sweater she’d brought to cover herself during the short walk.

The Emperor gave Tavona a slight nod and they left the room.

“How did you know where I was going to strike next?” the Emperor questioned.

“You lean slightly, your Majesty.” Tavona said, “When striking from the side, your body leans to counteract the force it’s giving. When you’re striking from above or running toward me, your stance is uneven, thus leaving you vulnerable to being knocked down.”

“Hm,” the Emperor responded, “I will be in my quarters until dinner, feel free to start the book I suggested to you until then.”

“Actually, your Majesty, with your permission I would like to take a walk around the Supremacy after I clean up. I haven’t learned my way around yet,” Tavona requested, to which the Emperor nodded.

Tavona notified the guards that she would be leaving and was able to shower and dress herself before the rest of the guards had arrived.

“Can they _be_ any slower?” Tavona huffed while tapping her foot on the ground impatiently. She waited another five minutes as the remaining guards shuffled in one by one until all ten guards stood in front of the metal door.

“Too slow,” she snapped, “Next time I expect you to be here in half the time.”

“Understood, Darth Vos,” One of the guards said.

Tavona huffed and made her way to the end of the hall. 

Tavona walked through the maze of halls that was the Supremacy. It was massive and long and all the hallways were _too_ much alike. Tavona was lost, she knew it. She had walked for all of five minutes and didn’t know where the hell she was. _Great_.

She heard a group of people laughing and talking in the distance and followed their voices. They led her to a sleek black door that hissed open when she stood in front of it.

There were men and women gambling, tossing a ball around, serving drinks, and talking to each other. She’d found the recreational room.

She stepped inside and a couple of people stared at her.

“—the Emperor’s bodyguard,” she heard someone whisper. Tavona smirked; good, they knew who she was.

She sat down at the bar and ordered the weakest drink on the menu, which was just water with a few drops of alcohol in it. Tavona sipped the drink and surveyed the crowd.

“Are you new?” a man said next to her. Tavona spun around in her seat to face him.

He was tall and had medium length brown hair that was pulled back slightly from his face. He surveyed her up and down as he smiled at her; he then gestured to her with the hand that was holding his drink.

“I’ve never seen you around here before,” he commented.

“I started a couple of days ago,” Tavona answered, then chugged the rest of her drink.

“What department?” the man asked, “I work in engineering,”

“Defense,” Tavona responded. The bartender began to fill her drink and she stopped him halfway.

“Who do you defend? Or are you just a guard?” the man smiled.

“The Emperor.” Tavona swallowed her second drink in one massive gulp.

The man’s smile only brightened. “You’re the Emperor’s bodyguard?” he gasped. “ _You’re_ Darth Vos?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Shouldn’t you be… I don’t know… _protecting_ the Emperor?” The man’s mouth dropped open slightly. The disbelief in his tone shocked her, _surely_ he wouldn’t think she was irresponsible enough to abandon her post?

“I followed all necessary protocols before I left.” Tavona shrugged while tossing a piece of ice into her mouth.

The man held out his hand for her to shake. “I’m Logmil,” he said with a smile.

Tavona accepted the offered hand. “Tavona,” she replied.

⚔⚔⚔

Tavona stumbled back to her quarters on her sore and uneasy legs. Bruises coated her neck and slithered all the way down her chest; there was no covering them up until she could change. Tavona sensed the guards’ disapproving looks as she made her way to her quarters.

She entered in the access code, the door hissed open, and she found the Emperor sitting on her bed; his helmet on and his arms crossed.

_Shit._

Luckily for Tavona, if _any_ of this situation could be considered lucky, the lights were off in the room and the ones in the hallway were obstructing the view of her marks. So there was a small silver lining.

“Where have you been?” the Emperor questioned. The voice modifier made his voice metallic, but it couldn’t hide the anger.

“Out,” Tavona clipped while she leaned on one of the walls. 

“Are you aware of the time? It’s zero-thirty; you were expected back at _sixteen-thirty_.” The Emperor lifted himself from Tavona’s bed and took a step toward her. “So, where. Have. You. Been?”

Tavona took in a sharp breath. “Your Majesty, what I do with my personal time is none of your concern. I apologize for being late; it won’t happen again.”

“You’re right, it _won’t_ happen again.” The Emperor took another step toward her. “But, as you are my bodyguard, it _is_ my right to know where you’ve been.”

“If you’ll forgive me, your Majesty, why do _you_ care what I do? You said yourself that you don’t want me here, so why do you concern yourself with my wellbeing?”

The Emperor’s muscles tensed.

“Just because I do not want you here does _not_ mean you won’t be following my orders,” he seethed.

“I never disobeyed orders, your Majesty. I ensured that the guards were with you when I left and they were here upon my return.”

The Emperor stepped toward her again and looked at her for a long moment.

“You’re hiding something,” he said, his brows furrowed, most likely in an attempt to see inside her mind.

“I’m not hiding anything,” Tavona snapped.

The Emperor flicked his fingers and the lights in the room flashed on, burning Tavona’s eyes. She groaned as her eyes adjusted to the light.

When she opened her eyes she saw the Emperor staring at her neck, at the bruises left by Logmil’s lips a mere hour ago.

Tavona couldn’t see it, but she knew that the Emperor was gritting his teeth.

“So _that’s_ what you were doing,” he snorted.

“What and who I choose to spend my free time with is my business and my business _alone_.”

“You would abandon your assignment so you could get _fucked_ by a half-wit soldier?!” The Emperor roared, “You would risk the safety of the _Empire_?”

The Emperor’s saber blared to life.

Tavona remained silent and averted her gaze. The Emperor was right, she _had_ been selfish. Putting her own needs before the Empire was _exactly_ what she’d done.

“So you _would_!” He held his saber to her purple and blue throat. He received no response from Tavona.

“Maybe I punish you with another scar, how about that? Maybe _then_ you would think before you put your _childish_ needs above the Empire!”

The Emperor inched his blade closer and closer to Tavona’s throat. She swallowed her fear and looked into the Emperor’s eyes.

“Do it, then.” The Emperor’s head jerked back in surprise. “If you kill me, who _knows_ what Palpatine will do to you for disobeying _his_ direct orders.”

The Emperor’s gloved hand tightened around the grip of his saber and was about ready to strike her with its roaring blade, but he stopped and pulled it away from her.

Tavona let out a breath. “It won’t happen again, your Majesty. You’re right, I _was_ selfish.”

The Emperor slashed at the wall to her side; the metal hissed and began to drip in its molten state after the impact.

“You should’ve let someone know.” The Emperor switched his saber off and the glowing red light died.

“I understand, I won’t jeopardize the Empire-”

“The safety of the Empire alone isn’t even the only concern in this!” the Emperor bellowed.

Tavona’s mouth dropped open, “I beg your par—”

“I was under the impression that you were _attacked_ , potentially _kidnapped_ by some rebels as a way to get to me!”

Oh.

_That’s_ what he had assumed? It was certainly not something she thought would even cross the Emperor’s mind, much less be a reason why he was upset with her.

“Your safety is _my_ safety. You will not be that careless with _either_ again, is that understood?”

“Yes, your Majesty. I assure you that it will not happen again.”

Tavona saw the Emperor’s muscles slightly relax, almost like he’d let out a small sigh of relief.

“We will be training again in the morning,” he said.

The Emperor turned on his heel and used the door connecting his room.

Tavona rubbed her sore neck and stumbled her way to the washroom. She peeled off her sweaty clothing and turned on the shower.

She was careful about washing her neck and chest. She’d forgotten how sensitive her hickeys had always been.

Tavona made a note to herself to tell Logmil that she wouldn’t be seeing him anymore, as she had with pretty much every other partner she’d had over her life.

She would always be with them for a passionate night and then tell whomever it was that it was just for a night. Tavona never felt bad about it; it was just how it always was. She never had an inclination to keep something going after a long night in a shitty hotel over a shitty bar she’d gotten drunk at.

Tavona rinsed the soap suds from her body and dried off.

She was going to be _so_ fucking sore tomorrow.


	6. Protection can be Dangerous

Tavona woke up with a sick feeling in her stomach. Something was about to happen; she could feel it in the marrow of her bones. She reached under her pillow and curled her fingers around her lightsaber.

She heard light footsteps getting closer and closer to her.

Tavona closed her eyes and shifted so her lightsaber was right next to her. Her thumb hovered over the activation switch.

“This is for the Resistance,” a voice hissed quietly. “So long,  _ Emperor _ .”

She felt them raise a blaster to her head. The pad of her thumb activated her saber and deflected the blast with ease. Her body shot up from her bed and grabbed the rebel’s shirt, holding the saber to his neck. The light from her saber shone just enough so he could see her.

Tavona plunged her saber into his stomach and his eyes widened.

“You mess with the Emperor, you mess with me,” she spat. The rebel fell to the ground.

“The Emperor is in the other room! I repeat, the Emperor is in the other room!” a woman’s voice said.

Tavona’s head jerked up at the sound and followed the voice; she sliced her saber across the rebel’s neck. The saber hummed at the contact and then sputtered once the second rebel was dead.

Tavona ran to the door to the Emperor’s room and burst in. She got in quickly enough to block the blast from a third rebel just before it would have put a hole in the Emperor’s skull. 

She turned to look at the Emperor, whose image was hazy in the red light of her glowing saber. He was awake and thoroughly confused, but  _ alive _ .

Tavona tossed her saber so the tip was facing behind her and shoved it into the third and final rebel just as the Emperor turned on the lights.

The Emperor reached for his saber but stopped once he saw the rebel collapse, dead, with a hole in their chest.

“Are you alright, your Majesty?” Tavona panted.

The Emperor climbed out of his bed and approached her slowly. He rubbed his eyes with one hand and scratched his neck with the other.

“Yes, I’m fine,” he said. “Thank you.”

Tavona let out a breath and switched off her saber. The breath sent a jolt of pain through her abdomen; she winced.

She felt…  _ wrong _ . Something was very wrong, something she couldn’t explain.

She went to adjust the sweater she had on so it wasn’t covering as much of her sleeping shorts, and her hand felt something wet.

“What about you?” the Emperor asked. “Are you hurt?”

“I…” Tavona breathed as she looked down and saw that her hand was covered in blood. She began to grow dizzy, her knees shook. She felt the ground wobble underneath her.

“Are you hurt?” he said again, this time louder. She didn’t respond. “ _ Tavona _ .” The Emperor grabbed the hand she was staring at and his eyes widened.

Tavona fell forward, unable to hold herself up any longer.

⚔⚔⚔

Kylo saw Tavona’s eyes roll into her skull and caught her as she fell. He steadied himself and held her limp body in his arms.

He lifted up her sweater and saw that a knife had been jabbed into her back and pierced through her abdomen. And there was blood,  _ too _ much blood.

“ _ Shit _ ,” he cursed.

Kylo put one arm around Tavona’s shoulders and another underneath her knees and began hurrying out of the room. He clutched her close to him, getting blood all over his exposed torso.

Once the doors opened to the hallway, he saw that all the guards had been killed. He cursed the lone rebels.

Her head lulled back.

“Tavona!” Kylo shouted.

⚔⚔⚔

Tavona heard someone call her.

It was faint, almost like it was from the end of a long hallway.

She felt warmth right beside her, wanting to drink it all up, but, with each second, she grew colder. She felt empty.

Tavona wanted to go to whoever screamed her name.

⚔⚔⚔

Kylo yelled and screamed for a medic, for guards, for  _ anyone _ . He didn’t know how far away someone was; he just prayed that they could hear his booming voice. He kept running down the halls, weaving in and out, trying to find the medbay.

As he ran, he looked down to Tavona. Her eyes were drooping, but open. He said her name again.

She tried to say something but nothing came out.

“Stay awake,” Kylo pleaded. “We’re almost there.”

⚔⚔⚔

Tavona opened her eyes and saw the Emperor looking down at her, or what she  _ thought _ was the Emperor. She couldn’t see; everything was a blur.

She could’ve sworn that she saw him smile when he saw her eyes were open.

Tavona tried to speak, but couldn’t even sputter out a syllable before her mouth filled with blood.

The Emperor, or whoever was holding her in their arms, told her to stay awake, that they were almost there.

The light she saw. Yes! They were almost there.

She smiled up at the person, trying to find their eyes, but things were only becoming less clear and more bright.

Tavona was tired. Very, very tired.

⚔⚔⚔

Kylo watched as Tavona smiled, blood dripping out of her mouth. The trails traced the scars on her cheeks and fell onto his leg as he ran as fast as he could. She wouldn’t die, she  _ couldn’t _ . Not after saving him. He wouldn’t let her.

He shouted for help again.

Kylo was close to the medbay. He knew it; he could feel it. He kept his grip on Tavona tight and dug into her skin, hoping it would keep her awake.

He raced into another hallway and saw medics racing toward him. They quickly spun around and led him into a private room.

Kylo placed Tavona on a metal table in the center of the room. The medics rushed to her and began to stop the blood gushing out of her.

One of the medics approached him with bandages.

“Go help her!” he commanded.

“Your Majesty, let me—”

“GO HELP HER!” he roared again to the medic, who jumped back in fear. “I’m. Not. Hurt.”

“Y-Yes,” the medic raced to aid the other two in stopping the blood and stitching up the wound. They pulled out the knife, Kylo cringed.

“Your Majesty,” General Reddtiff said from the door of the room, “I heard what happened; are you alright?”

Kylo turned his head to look at her. “I wasn’t injured.”

“We need to get you back to your room. You need to be guarded,” the General said. “ _ Heavily _ ,” she added.

“No.” 

“Palpatine’s orders say you must be—” she tried again.

“Then bring the guards here!”

The General was taken aback. She swallowed a lump in her throat. “Your quarters will be much safer—”

“I don’t care! Bring all the guards here if you want to protect me! I’m not leaving!” Kylo shouted then looked to Tavona. Her eyes were closed, the one medic trying to wake her up and the other two cleaning the blood off of her.

“Not until I know she’s okay,” he finished. His voice was softer, almost breaking.

The General didn’t argue with him. She stood guard outside with what seemed to be at least twenty other soldiers, all lining up against the walls.

Kylo watched as the medics gave Tavona a blood transfusion and stitched up the wound. He sat on the ground, hands around his knees, waiting for a word on if she would survive or not.

Deojoul rushed into the room, and looked at the table where Tavona was, then at Kylo.

“What happened?” Deojoul went to Kylo and pulled up a chair next to him.

“She… she sensed him,” Kylo breathed, “A rebel came into my room and tried to kill me. She was able to stop him, but not before…”

Deojoul’s eyes saddened.

“I-I just don’t know how she didn’t sense that the rebel would stab her,” Kylo thought out loud. “She sensed the attack on me, but not on herself…”

“The Force is a tricky thing, your Majesty. In times like that, even one subtle distraction can cause the Force to slip out of one's use for a fraction of a second. And that fraction of a second may prove fatal. She was most likely distracted by doing her job: making sure you were alright.”

Kylo didn’t respond. He hadn’t sensed the assailant, hadn’t known that the attack was coming. His mind reeled with the thought that if she died, it would be his fault. 


	7. Stitches? They Suck

Tavona groaned in pain. Everything was heavy and sore,  _ especially _ her abdomen.

“You’re awake,” a familiar metallic voice said.

She opened her eyes slowly and saw that the Emperor was sitting at her side in the medbay. Her cheeks flushed.

When she attempted to sit up, she felt her stitches expand, which caused her to wince.

Right,  _ stitches _ .

Tavona felt the Emperor’s gloved hands on her torso, gently guiding her into a position where she was upright on the bed.

“Thank you,” she croaked. She smacked her lips, her throat drier than Jakku.

The Emperor got up from his seat and poured her some water; he sat back down in the chair and handed her the glass.

Tavona gingerly took it and slowly took a sip.

“How are you feeling?” the Emperor questioned, watching her swallow.

“Like I got stabbed,” she answered dryly. She wished that he would take off his helmet so there could be  _ some _ form of connection, but she decided now would not be the right moment for such a request.

“That…  _ is _ to be expected,” he shrugged.

Tavona tapped her fingers on the glass of water and looked down at her lap.

“How long have I been here?” She examined the pulse monitor on her finger that was beating at a steady rate.

“Just a couple of hours.”

Tavona nodded her head.

“You lost a lot of blood; they had to give you a transfusion,” the Emperor explained. “What do you remember?”

Tavona’s face twitched and she pursed her lips.

“Start from when you sensed the attack,” the Emperor told her.

She took in a breath and began telling her story. She went through how the rebels attacked her first, then how she saved him, and then:

“After you told me you were fine, things become a little hazy. It… It was blurry and bright and quiet… I heard someone calling my name but it was… like they were in a different room. I felt warmth all around me but… but I kept getting colder. And it kept getting brighter and brighter,”

She saw the Emperor shift in his seat.

“It sounds crazy, I know, but—”

“It doesn’t sound crazy,” the Emperor reassured, “not at all,”

“And I… I saw someone. I couldn’t tell who it was; someone carried me…”

Tavona scanned the Emperor’s helmet but, as usual, got no emotion from it. But she saw his hands twitch and tap, which was all she needed to see.

She could’ve asked why he tried to save her; after all, he barely  _ tolerated _ her and was adamant that her position was unnecessary, so why would he save her? She could’ve asked why he was so desperate in his pleas for her to live, or why he was in the room with her at all, much less helping her recover, but all she could muster was:

“Thank you,”

The Emperor cleared his throat and nodded his head. His way of saying  _ you’re welcome _ , she supposed.

He looked down at his holo-watch and then back up to her.

“I have to…”

“You have your duties to attend to,” she finished.

“If… If there’s any trouble I had the bracelets programmed so they work both ways. If you need me just tap twice on them.” 

He got up from the chair, adjusted his cape, and began walking.

“Thank you… for everything, your Majesty,” Tavona said. She raised the glass and took another sip of water.

He stopped in the doorway. “Kylo,” he corrected.

Tavona almost choked on her drink. “Wh-What?” she stuttered.

“Call me Kylo when we’re alone,” he repeated and walked out the door.

⚔⚔⚔

Kylo zoned out as all of his advisors gave him a slight reprimand.

He was invited to this meeting to discuss policy, but he knew what  _ that _ was code for:  _ next time your bodyguard is dying, don’t try and save her _ . Lucky for him, his helmet concealed his bored and frankly offended expression.

His arguments did nothing to change their opinions of his actions. He finally tuned in when an advisor stood up from his chair.

“You could’ve been attacked on the way to the medbay, your Majesty. We need to be realistic about your safety,” the standing advisor addressed him with an urgent look. The one advisor Palpatine had appointed and the  _ one _ advisor Kylo hated more than anyone.

“My safety,  _ Hallcoa _ , is in the hands of Darth Vos,” proclaimed Kylo, “who wouldn’t be able to perform her duties if she were  _ dead _ .”

“Nor if  _ you _ were dead,” another advisor, Smaair, retorted.

“We aren’t trying to reprimand your actions, your Majesty,” Deojoul consoled. “In fact, if I were in that situation I most likely would have done the same thing myself. But please, consider your own safety. For the good of the Empire.”

Kylo reluctantly agreed to Deojoul’s request and dismissed his advisors.

“Deojoul,” Kylo directed, “not you. I’d like to speak with you in private.”

Deojoul nodded and stayed seated while the rest of the advisors lifted themselves from their seats and shuffled out of the room.

“How may I help you, your Majesty?” Deojoul folded his hands together and leaned forward on the table.

“I wanted to thank you for waiting with me last night.” Kylo tapped his fingers on his thigh.

Deojoul nodded. “You are very welcome,”

“Do you believe she’ll recover quickly? I’ve already grown tired of a pack of Stormtroopers following me around; it would be nice to be in her company again.”

Deojoul chuckled, “Tavona is a fighter and has been one as long as I’ve known her. She will recover and return to her position soon.  _ That _ I guarantee.”

Kylo continued tapping on his thighs.

“You were with her all night, or so I was told,” Deojoul commented.

“I wanted to show her my appreciation for saving me,” Kylo defended.

The advisor nodded. “An appreciation taken, I presume?” 

“Yes,” Kylo answered.

“Tavona will most likely be discharged within the next week. She doesn’t like to be in one place for too long.”

“That will be all,”

Deojoul bowed and bid him a farewell.

Kylo remained in the room, his thoughts racing. He contemplated going back to visit Tavona, whom he’d never  _ properly _ thanked; in fact, she thanked  _ him _ . But he presumed that Deojoul would be visiting his former apprentice and decided to wait until tomorrow to visit again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry that this is later than normal on a monday!! there was a MASSIVE thunderstorm in my town and it knocked out my wifi


	8. Lying is Never Tolerated

Tavona had been in the medbay for three days, and with each passing second Kylo grew more and more agitated with the Stormtroopers following his every move.

He’d taken for granted how silent Tavona was when guarding him, how she never spoke unless spoken to. He was reluctant to say it, even to himself, but… he  _ missed _ her.

But until she was released, Kylo would have to deal with fifteen Stormtroopers on his tail, listening to the never ending bragging about how much money they had won on Cantonica or how many girls they’d fucked within the past couple of days.

Kylo reminded himself that he needed to discuss protocol for the Troopers with Reddtiff; he didn’t want to hear their incessant boasting.

After the…  _ incident _ of a Stormtrooper commenting on Tavona’s ass he’d assumed that no such talk would be used again, but clearly he’d assumed wrong.

Generals and Advisors went through the tasks Kylo would have to complete today, and he’d noticed that Deojoul was not among them, nor was Hallcoa.

Deojoul had been cleared to be with Tavona at any given point until she was released from the med bay; Kylo assumed that’s where he was. But Hallcoa? He had  _ not _ been cleared for an absence.

Oh well, Kylo had been meaning to slice Hallcoa open for a while, and here was his  _ official _ reason to do so. Killing an advisor simply because he was a dick would not have sufficed as a reason for Palpatine to excuse Hallcoa’s death.

Negligence, on the other hand? A perfect reason.

Footsteps sounded in the hallway outside.

Kylo flexed his fingers in anticipation of ripping the advisor open as soon as he stepped foot in the throne room.

Unfortunately, it was Deojoul who walked in,  _ not _ Hallcoa.

Deojoul bowed lower than Kylo had ever seen, which must have been absolute torture on his joints.

“Forgive my absence, your Majesty.”

“You may rise, and no forgiveness is necessary; I gave you clearance to be with your former student,” Kylo assured.

Deojoul slowly rose and raised his head to attempt to look into Kylo’s eyes through the helmet. His hands and knees shook.

“Forgive my question, your Majesty, but have you seen Tavona?”

“What?” He asked after a brief moment to process what he had been asked. His heart began to beat rapidly.

“She isn’t in the medbay, your Majesty. I came in here to see if she had come to resume her duties but—”

“Alert the other troopers!” Kylo barked to one of his guards, who nodded and relayed the order to the rest of the soldiers on board.

“Have you checked her quarters?” Kylo turned his head back to Deojoul.

“Yes.” 

Kylo began to worry. His warning bracelets hadn’t been activated, so where the  _ hell  _ was she?

A cacophony of yelling came from the hallway and grew louder and louder.

Kylo rushed to his feet and grabbed his saber.

Hallcoa stumbled into the room, blood seeping from what appeared to be a broken nose.

“What in the—” Deojoul began.

A glowing red light shone in the hallway before the saber and its wielder came into view.

Tavona pointed the tip of her saber right to the throat of Hallcoa, who gulped in fear.

“ _ What _ is the meaning of this?!” Kylo roared.

“Forgive my intrusion, your Majesty,” Tavona hissed, “but I thought you should be made aware that your advisor just failed in his attempt to  _ kill _ me.”

Kylo saw the smoldering fire in Tavona’s golden eyes, even from this distance. He felt the rage in her leaking into the air and making its way into him.

Kylo slowly stepped down from his throne and made his way toward Hallcoa.

“Is what my bodyguard says true?” he inquired.

Tavona looked angrily toward Kylo.

“N-No, your Majesty, it is a blatant lie by a girl who cannot even protect herself, let alone you!” stuttered Hallcoa.

Kylo thrust his hand out and began to dig deep into Hallcoa’s mind. Hallcoa cringed and attempted to wrestle out of the grip, but to no avail. Kylo twisted through the memories and senses that had passed through Hallcoa’s mind until he got to where the memories began.

Kylo saw Hallcoa attempting to drag the half awake Tavona from the hallway and into his quarters. As soon as they reached Hallcoa’s room, he tried to poison her, but she was able to fully realize what was happening and wrenched out of the grip. She smashed the heel of her boot right into Hallcoa’s nose.

All Kylo needed to see.

He dropped his hand and Hallcoa let out a massive breath, but his body still shook in fear.

“Hallcoa, what is the  _ one _ thing I do not tolerate?” Kylo prompted.

“Lying, your Majesty.”

“And what do I  _ do _ to liars?”

“E-Execute them, your Majesty,” Hallcoa stammered.

Kylo slammed Hallcoa into the wall with a flick of his fingers. He saw Tavona smirk out of the corner of his eye.

“Then you  _ know _ what’s coming your way, don’t you?” he taunted. “Normally I would do it myself, but since you’ve wronged my  _ excellent _ bodyguard, I believe  _ she _ should have the pleasure of doing so.”

Tavona spun her saber in her hand and held it to Hallcoa’s neck.

“Why?” she growled.

“You’re incompetent! You could’ve cost the Emperor his  _ life _ with your acts of negligence!” he spat.

Tavona dropped her arm to her side. Hallcoa laughed.

“You can’t even kill me? How pathetic of a—”

Tavona whipped around and plunged her saber right into Hallcoa’s heart. His body slumped on the red wall.

Kylo released Hallcoa’s corpse from his grip and allowed him to fall on the ground with a loud  _ thud _ . Finally, Kylo would never have to listen to that absolute  _ bastard _ again.

He turned on his heel to Tavona as she switched her saber off.

“Go back to the medbay,” he ordered.

“I’m alright, your Majesty.” 

“You have not been discharged; you  _ will _ go back now.”

“I discharged myself, your Majesty. I have been assigned to protect you and I will continue to do so.”

Kylo groaned in annoyance.

“Very well, two soldiers will stay to aid you until your stitches are removed.”

“Understood.”

“If I may interject,” Deojoul said, “Tavona, I believe you will benefit from another day of rest. Come back in two days when you are better.”

Tavona sighed. “Deojoul, I am perfectly capable of protecting the Emperor. Besides, I was about to go crazy in there, I’ll be alright.”

Deojoul gave a small nod.

“Is there anything you need from me, your Majesty?” Deojoul slightly turned to Kylo.

“No, you are dismissed.”

Deojoul gave a disapproving look to Tavona and left the throne room.

Kylo crossed his arms over his chest. “You should be in the medbay,” he chided.

“I should be  _ here _ . Protecting  _ you _ .”

Tavona walked toward her seat next to Kylo’s throne, and Kylo followed behind her. He saw her cringe as she began to sit down.

Kylo extended his arms out to help her, but Tavona refused his offer.

He rolled his eyes and went to his throne. “Thank you,” he said, “for… for saving me.”

“You’re welcome,” Tavona replied.

After a moment, Kylo asked, “Are you  _ sure _ you don’t want to go back to the medbay? There will be no consequences if you do.”

“I’m sure. I appreciate the concern but I’m  _ not _ going back until I have to have my stitches removed.” Tavona twirled a strand of her long hair around her finger.

Kylo sighed quietly.


	9. Conversations Are Unexpected to Say the Least

Tavona sat down at the table with Kylo across from her and handed him his steaming hot lunch. Their routine had become second nature by now and she didn’t even have to think about what to do.

As Tavona sat down, her still-healing stab wound sent a dull pain through her body. It had been a week and a half since she was stabbed, and she hated that it wasn’t healing fast enough. Luckily for her, her stitches had been removed, but it was still painful sitting down. She’d never realized how much she had taken sitting down quickly for granted.

Kylo and Tavona both began to eat in silence, as they’d done ever since she had been assigned to him, since they never really had much to talk about. And after all, Tavona had assumed that Kylo absolutely  _ loathed _ her, but after he risked his life to save hers, she didn’t know how he felt about her.

“How did you get your scars?” Kylo asked suddenly. Tavona hung her mouth open and stopped moving her fork to her mouth. The first time he wanted to talk with her and he asked  _ this _ ?

“You told me that when you got them you hadn’t followed orders. I’m curious as to what happened,” he clarified, then began to dig into his vegetables.

Tavona set her fork down on her plate, her voice wavered slightly as she told her half-truth, “I got into a fight with a rebel and I didn’t pay attention. I thought I would be able to beat him easily, but he was smarter than I expected. He grabbed me, took my saber, and asked for the location of where the Sith were training people.

“When I wouldn’t budge he gave me one of the cuts with my saber, and then asked again; I said no and he gave me the other one. He asked one more time for the location and said that if I didn’t answer he would kill me.

“I spit in his face and he raised the saber to kill me, but in that moment I kicked his legs out from under him and was able to grab my saber from his hands. I killed him without thinking twice, then I went back to Atonia.” Tavona scooped up some vegetables and ate them.

Kylo stabbed a piece of meat and spun the fork in his fingers, “What was Deojoul’s reaction?”

Tavona swallowed, “I disobeyed his orders of not underestimating my enemy, so he was upset. He healed the burns but left the scars as a reminder to never disobey again.” She lifted her cup to take a sip of water.

“Ah,” Kylo drew out, “That’s how I got mine, too.”

Tavona blinked.

“I underestimated an enemy; she gave it to me in a fight.”

“The Scavenger,” Tavona realized.

“Yes,” Kylo pushed the food around on his plate, “I wanted her to join us, actually. To be a part of our Empire, but she…  _ refused _ .”

Tavona only nodded.

“I wanted her to be in your room,” Kylo added, still staring down at his plate.

Tavona remembered all the outfits and items that weren’t hers, all the books and trinkets. All of it meant for the  _ Scavenger _ . It all made sense now.

“She was a fool for not joining us, your Majesty,” Tavona reassured him.

“Don’t you remember what I said?” Kylo questioned.

“Hm?”  _ Call me Kylo _ , Tavona remembered, “Oh, my apologies… Kylo.”

Calling him Kylo in her head wasn’t that bad, but actually saying it? That was different. Deojoul would have her head if he knew that they were on a first name basis.

“How is your wound healing?” Kylo asked after sipping his drink.

Tavona finished chewing her meat and swallowed sharply. “Better, but it’s still sore when I do certain motions.”

“Good. Let me know if you need a day of rest to fully recover and I’ll arrange it,” he offered, shoveling the last pieces of food into his mouth.

“I’ve managed without another day of rest for this long; I’m not about to pussy out now.”

Tavona felt Kylo’s mood change to a slight annoyance. She didn’t want to pry into his mind to confirm that she was the cause.

The conversation went quiet. Tavona stacked her and Kylo’s plates and went to clean them off. 

She sensed the Emperor rise from his seat.

Tavona’s thoughts came swirling back into her mind. The words fought to claw their way out of her throat; she struggled to suppress them, but she couldn’t hold them back any longer.

“Why did you save me?”

Tavona felt Kylo freeze but didn’t turn toward him to see his expression. She absentmindedly twirled a fork in her hands while she waited for his response.

“You saved me,” Kylo answered.

Tavona threw the fork into the chute for the dishes, “Because I was  _ supposed _ to. You are not obligated to save  _ me _ .”

She turned to Kylo and was met with an almost surprised expression. It seemed that he was confused as to why she’d ask such a thing.

“I repaid my life debt,” Kylo’s feet shifted.

“But you didn’t  _ have _ to,” Tavona reiterated.

Kylo gulped, “I don’t have to explain my motives.”

“I believe you do when it was  _ my _ life! You didn’t like that I was assigned your bodyguard; you  _ barely _ tolerated my presence at all! So  _ why _ did you save me? I’m entitled to know.”

The table began to rattle as Tavona clenched her fists; her nails dug into the soft flesh of her palm and they began to bleed.

She soon centered herself and the rattling stopped. She unclenched her fist and let the small crescent wounds drip blood down her fingertips.

Kylo inhaled sharply, “When you saved me I… All that was going through my head was that if you were to die it would be my fault. I hadn’t sensed the attack. I wasn’t ready, and I didn’t sense that the rebel would stab you.”

Tavona’s fingers brushed the fabric of her black tunic that covered the healing wound.

“I didn’t want the guilt,” Kylo finished.

“It’s not your fault,” Tavona comforted him softly after a beat, “ _ I _ didn’t sense the rebel’s actions—”

“—Because you were making sure I was safe and unhurt,” Kylo interrupted.

“That’s my  _ duty _ , Kylo. That’s  _ why _ I’m here at all,”

Kylo looked down at the floor. “You wouldn’t be able to protect me if you were dead,” he said.

“That  _ is _ true,” Tavona shrugged.

“Also,” Kylo began as he stretched out his fingers, “I’ve grown to appreciate your company.”

Tavona raised an eyebrow, “Really?” She snarked in a disbelieving tone.

“You’re a lot quieter than ten or more stormtroopers. Not to mention the conversations are more entertaining, too.”

“Hm.” Tavona rocked on her heels.

“In all honesty, it’s been… nice to have you back.”

Tavonas’s body froze. Had Kylo Ren, the notoriously ruthless Emperor of the Galaxy, just  _ complimented _ her? Better yet, he  _ appreciated _ her company?

“I was only in the medbay for three and a half days,”

“If  _ you _ had to listen to what the Stormtroopers deem acceptable to talk about in front of their Emperor, I’m sure you would’ve preferred me, too.” Kylo’s fingers rapped the hilt of his lightsaber.

“Huh,” Tavona remarked. “What  _ did _ they talk about, out of curiosity?”

“The three ‘G’s: Gambling, Girls, and Gore,” Kylo scoffed.

“Ah,” Tavona drew out, rolling her eyes, “What  _ else _ would they have to talk about except for killing a woman’s husband and then fucking her on his dead body?”

Kylo’s eyes widened. “Was that made up?”

“Hopefully by the Stormtrooper who bragged about it to one of the others. But I, unfortunately, did  _ not _ make that up,”

“Were those the guards outside your room in the medbay?”

Tavona nodded, “It’s  _ incredible _ what they’ll say when they think it’s only them who can hear the conversation.”

Kylo shook his head and clenched his teeth, “I’ve been thinking of getting rid of most of these Stormtroopers. They were trained by the former General Hux,  _ not _ Reddtiff.”

“Wasn’t Hux the one that was a Resistance spy  _ specifically _ because he hated you?”

“Yes,”

Tavona almost let out a laugh, “The fact that he hated you  _ so much _ that he committed treason right under your nose? Wow.”

“Eh, he was bound to be killed sooner or later anyways. Either by me or someone else… and it turned out to be someone else,”

“Hm,”

“Reddtiff is much better suited, anyways,” Kylo said, and Tavona sensed the disdain for Hux in his voice.

Kylo looked down to his holo-watch and then up to Tavona.

“Meeting?” she asked, and Kylo nodded. “We should get going, then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyy sorry i haven't posted!! i've been preparing for college!!


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